Risk Factors Associated with Non-Compliance with Respiratory Protection Programs among Firefighters

Non-compliance with respiratory protection programs among firefighters may put them at increased risk of injury and illness from occupational exposures during fire extinguishing activities. This research aims to characterize respiratory protection practices among Florida firefighters. This information will allow better understanding of factors that are associated with non-compliance with respiratory protection guidelines. A survey questionnaire was used to characterize Florida fire departments in this cross-sectional study. Four hundred and seventy-seven surveys were administered to Florida firefighters both in person and electronically to collect information regarding firefighter knowledge and participation in their respective respiratory protection programs during the past twelve months. Survey questions were developed from the model set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) which provides standards and regulations regarding firefighter protections. Summary statistics regarding firefighter department size, coverage area, and firefighter employment type were produced. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors that impact respiratory protection programs. The 477 respondents were 91% male with a mean age of 39 years old (range 21 - 65 years). The majority of respondents, 76%, were non-smokers, 21% former smokers, and 3% current smokers. In regard to ethnicity, respondents were 77% Caucasian, 13% Hispanic, 3% African American, and 4% other. Most respondents were career firefighters, 97%, with less than ten years of experience, 44%, working in a fire department with at least 21 firefighters, 98%. Most respondents, 80%, had a written respiratory program in place. The most cited reason for not having implemented a written respiratory protection program was lack of knowledge related to the program. Multinomial logistic regression analysis of departments with response areas of at least 250,000 square miles produced a statistically significant 0.444 (0.219 - 0.901 CI) odds ratio for having a written respiratory program as compared to those with a less than 10,000 square miles response area. Additional resources need to be given to Florida fire departments to ensure that all firefighters receive adequate respiratory protection in accordance with NFPA guidelines. There is an association between fire departments with large response areas and non-compliance with respiratory protection guidelines in regard to: having a written respiratory program, the frequency of respiratory fit testing, and the frequency of medical fitness testing. This suggests that rural fire departments need additional resources to ensure firefighters are adequately protected. Additional research should focus on why these differences exist in the rural fire departments. Respondents stating a lack of knowledge or no requirement for a written respiratory program suggest that future efforts should focus on respiratory protection education and training.

Development and Implementation of Antiradiation Respirator ＂ARR-1＂ for Use in Uranium Mining

It has been developed and implemented for use antiradiation mask ＂ARR-I＂ for use in the uranium industry. The outer layer is treated with a special solution with anti-gas composition, which holds the gaseous radioactive isotopes.

Disinfection efficiency of positive pressure respiratory protective hood using fumigation sterilization cabinet

Concerns have been raised about both the disinfection and the reusability of respiratory protective equipment following a disinfection process.Currently,there is little data available on the effects of disinfection and decontamination on positive pressure respiratory protective hoods(PPRPH).In this study,we evaluated the effect of vaporized hydrogen peroxide(VHP)on the disinfection of PPRPH to determine applicability of this method for disinfection of protective equipment,especially protective equipment with an electric supply system.A hydrogen peroxide-based fumigation sterilization cabinet was developed particularly for disinfection of protective equipment,and the disinfection experiments were conducted using four PPRPHs hung in the fumigation chamber.The pathogenic microorganism Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 was used as a biological indicator in this study and the relationship between air flow(the amount of VHP)and disinfection was investigated.Both function and the material physical properties of the PPRPH were assessed following the disinfection procedure.No surviving Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953,both inside and outside of these disinfected PPRPHs,could be observed after a 60 min treatment with an air flow of 10.5–12.3 m^(3)/h.Both function and material physical properties of these PPRPHs met the working requirements after disinfection.This study indicates that air flow in the fumigation chamber directly influences the concentration of VHP.The protective equipment fumigation sterilization cabinet developed in this paper achieves the complete sterilization of the PPRPHs when the air flow is at 10.5–12.3 m^(3)/h,and provides a potential solution for the disinfection of various kind of protective equipment.